Clamping unit for clothes hanger



Aug. 31, 1965 E. THOMAS CLAMPING UNIT FOR CLOTHES HANGER Filed May 22, 1962 R6 2 mo mm W E M I M l 62: I m I: I H

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United States Patent 3,203,061 QLAR EPENG UNIT FOR CLOTHES HANGER Ernest Thomas, Roselle, 111., assignor to Ekco Products Company, Chicago, 11L, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 22, 1962, Ser. No. 196,776 3 Claims. (CI. 24-81) This invention relates to a clamping unit of the type having gripping jaws for retaining an article interposed therebetween in suspended relation to a hanger or supporting rod with which the clamping unit is adapted to have detachable connection independently of the action of the gripping jaws.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a clamping unit of an improved construction which greatly reduces its cost and at the same time increases its quality.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description of an illustrative embodiment proceeds, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a garment hanger equipped with a pair of clamping units embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a similar view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 with the jaws of the unit in open position.

FIG. 4 is a section taken along line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a spring as used in a clamping unit forming the subject of this invention.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the spring shown in FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawing, FIG. 1 shows a conventional wire hanger for the purpose of illustrating a typical application of a clamping unit forming the subject of this invention. The hanger thus shown in FIG. 1 includes the usual cross bar 10 by which the lower ends of upwardly converging shoulder sections 11 are joined. The shoulder sections 11 are wound together as at 12 to define a neck portion from which one of said sections 11 extends upwardly to form a supporting hook 13. Reference numeral 14 designates generally each of a pair of clamping units mounted in suitably spaced apart relation on the cross bar.

The clamping units, as shown in detail in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, each include a body member preferably formed of moldable elastic plastic material, such for example as polypropylene, and includes a pair of jaw members 15 and 16 and a relatively thin web defining an integral bridge section 17 by which said jaw members are joined in normally forwardly projecting converging relation to said bridge section 17. Finger gripping arms 18 and 19 are defined by rearward extensions of the arms 15 and 16 respectively. Internal stresses in the bridge section 17 are effective to normally maintain the arm 18 and the jaw member 15 from which it extends and the arm 19 and the jaw member 16 from which it extends along rearwardly diverging lines and thereby hold the jaw members together in article gripping relation along forwardmost portions of the jaw members as shown in FIG. 2. By squeezing the finger gripping arms 18 and 19 toward each other, the bridge section 17 is flexed to cause the jaw members to open as shown in FIG. 3. It will be noted that such opening of the jaw members in response to squeezing of the finger gripping arms 18 and 19 toward each other is effected via flexure of the bridge section 17 along lines limited to marginal areas of the bridge section along its junction with the jaw members, as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings.

Upwardly and outwardly extending wings defined by opposite end portions of a yoke shaped leaf spring 20 act against the inwardly facing surfaces of the arms 18 and 19 of the clamping unit to urge said arms outwardly. The spring 20 is of such stiffness as to maintain a constant pressure on the arms 18 and 19 and thereby establish desired resistance against opening of the jaw members.

In the form of the spring assembly illustrated in the drawings, a slot 22 formed in the midsection of the spring joining the upwardly extending wings receives a rib 23 formed integrally with and projecting upwardly from the surface of the bridge section 17 facing the spring 20.

The upper ends of the wings of the spring 20 are notched for engagement with projections 24 formed integrally with and offset from the surfaces of the jaw members 18 and 19 toward the area between said jaw members. The projections 24 and rib 23 accordingly cooperate with the spring 20 to trap the latter against unintentional withdrawal from an operative position between the jaw members 18 and 19. It will be noted that the spring 20 not only provides desired control of the flexibility of the bridge section 17 of the clamping unit but aids in preventing misalignment of the jaw members 18 and 19 which might occur under influence of forces tending to twist the bridge section 17.

When in mounted position on the cross bar 10 of a hanger, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, with the jaw members 15 and 16 in straddling relation to the bar 19, the unit has engagement with the bar 10 along surfaces of a channel defined by a pair of ribs 25 and 26 formed integrally with and projecting forwardly from the forward facing side of the bridge section 17 along lines extending lengthwise of the axis of flexure of said bridge section. The ribs are inherently stressed to grip the surfaces of the bar 10 confined therebetween and thereby prevent unintentional withdrawal of the clamping unit from the bar although the ribs are sufiiciently flexible to permit expansion of the space therebetween as needed for mounting the unit on the hanger or for intentional removal of the unit from the hanger. It will be noted that the ribs 25 and 26' are joined to the bridge section 17 along an area centrally of and sufiiciently removed from said lines of fiexure of the bridge section, whereby the ribs are retained in a position to maintain gripping engagement with the bar 10 whether the jaw members 18 and 19 are open or closed. The curved transverse cross sectional contour of the channel defined by the ribs 25 and 26 conforms to the cylindrical surface of the bar 10 to permit rotation of the clamp unit about said bar It) as an axis.

The interengaging surfaces of the jaw members 15 and 16 may be contoured in any suitable manner to gain desired frictional engagement with the article to be gripped therebetween and alternating depressions and elevations defining corrugations 27 in jaw member 16 and similar corrugations 28 in jaw member 15 along lines parallel to the axis of opening and closing movement of said jaw members are shown in the drawing to exemplify one form of suitable contour.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the parts of a clamping unit as described herein may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of this invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A clamping unit for supporting an article in sus pended relation to an overhead supporting member, said unit having a pair of jaw members and an integral flexible bridge section by which said jaw members are joined in normally forwardly converging relation to said bridge section, said jaw members having integral rearward extensions defining normally outspread finger gripping arms which on movement toward each other are effective to open said jaw members via fiexure of said bridge section along lines limited to marginal areas of said bridge section along its junction with said jaw members, and means for establishing a detachable connection between said clamping unit and said overhead supporting member including yieldable supporting member engaging ribs formed integrally with and projecting forwardly from said bridge section and occupying positions totally within the confines of the area between said jaw members, said ribs and said bridge section being joined along an area centrally of and sufficiently removed from said lines of flexure of said bridge section to maintain gripping action independently of the open or closed position of said jaw members.

2. A clamping unit in accordance with claim 1, wherein action of the gripping arms to open said jaw members is resisted by a spring having a pair of wings joined by a mid section from which said Wings extend in outwardly diverging relation, and said spring occupies a seated position between said gripping arms wherein the wings of the spring extend along the inner faces of said gripping arms in a direction away from said bridge section of the clamping unit and the mid section of the spring extends along the surface of the bridge section of the clamping unit facing the area between said gripping arms, each of said gripping arms having a projection on the inner face thereof, and each wing of said spring presenting a recess engaging the projection on the gripping arm of the clamping unit faced by said wing to secure said spring against unintentional withdrawal from a seated position between said gripping arms.

3. A clamping unit according to claim 1, wherein a spring confined between said finger gripping arms is effective to yieldably resist action of said arms to open said jaw members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,408,344 9/46 Scurrah 223--91 2,885,758 5/59 Russo et a1 24138 FOREIGN PATENTS 31,707 5/23 Denmark. 1,158,736 1/58 France.

666,083 2/52 Great Britain.

5 DONLEY I. STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

ABRAHAM G. STONE, Examiner. 

1. A CLAMPING UNIT FOR SUPPORTING AN ARTICLE IN SUSPENDED RELATION TO AN OVERHEAD SUPPORTING MEMBER, SAID UNIT HAVING A PAIR OF JAW MEMBERS AND AN INTEGRAL FLEXIBLE BRIDGE SECTION BY WHICH SAID JAW MEMBEERS ARE JOINED IN NORMALLY FORWARDLY CONVERGING RELATIONT TO SAID BRIDGE SECTION, SAID JAW MEMBERS HAVING INTEGRAL REARWARD EXTENSIONS DEFINING NORMALLY OUTSPREAD FINGER GRIPPING ARMS WHICH ON MOVMENT TOWARD EACH OTHER ARE EFFECTIVE TO OPEN SAID JAW MEMBERS VIA FLEXURE OF SADI BRIDGE SECTION ALONG LINES LIMITED TO MARGINAL AREAS OF SAID BRIDGE SECTION ALONG ITS JUNCTION WITH SAID JAW MEMBERS, AND MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING A DETACHABLY CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID CLAMPING UNIT AND SAID OVERHEAD SUPPORTING MEMBER INCLUDING YIELDABLE SUPPORTING MEMBER ENGAGING RIBS FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH AND PROJECCTING FOR- 